Spinning-top.



No. 644,709. 0 Patented Mar. 6, I900.

m. m. HENRY. 1

SPINNING TOP.

(Application filed Oct. 25, 1899.)

(No Model.)

A? TEST- Inv ENTER.

ATTY

Ni'rnn MARTIN M. HENRY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SPINNING-TOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,709, dated March 6, 1900.

'Application filed October 25, 1899. Serial No. 734,748. N model-l To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARTIN M. HENRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spinning-Tops; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to devices for spinning tops; and the invention consists in a device resembling a spool or circular head constructed centrally for the accommodation of the stem of a top and adapted to be held by the fingers of one hand while a string engaging said device under suitable tension control and encircling the stem of the top to rotate the same is pulled by the other hand, all substantially as shown and described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective elevation of one of the many forms which I have found can be given to my invention without departing from its spirit or scope. Fig. 2 is a plain side elevation, partly in section, of the spool itself on line .r as, Fig. 1, and showing the groove beneath and in the tension-plate for the string. The stem of the top also appears in this View. Fig. 3 is a plain elevation of the top and a central sectional elevation of the spool and serving to illustrate the operation in connection with the string, as hereinafter fully described.

Now taking up the invent-ion as it appears in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, A represents the top itself, and a the stem thereof.

B is the spinning-spool, so called, having a central bore somewhat larger than the stem a in cross-section and recessed with a concavity b about its top. In this instance a single horseshoe-shaped plate 0 is secured by screws 3 on the top of the spool, and its extremities outside the stop-pins 4 are turned up slightly, as seen at 5 5, Figs. 1 and 2, to enable the string or cord D to be drawn under the same and frictionally held beneath said plate or between it and the spool itself. The stop-pins 4. are set down in holes in the spool and prevent the string from working back beyond the grooves 6 in the plate, in which it is intended to operate. In this form of spool it is desirable to have a guide-pin '7, both to indicate the side at which the string should be entered and as a means of confining the string to its run, and it is set a little back from the entering-point to the groove 6 at this side in plate 0.

In operation the spool is placed on the stem (1 and then the string is introduced, first beneath lip 5 and then, after winding it once around the stem, under lip 5, the string meantime being held tight on the right by pressing it against the spool with the thumb or finger while its other end is drawn to get it closely wrapped on the stem. This done, the grip of the plate 0 on the string gives it all the tension required for completing the operation. Then to spin the top grip the spool between the thumb and fingers, so as to keep the point of the top free, and at the same time give a quick full-length pull to the string, so as to pull it through. Then the top will drop out and spin away with exceptional speed and life. The prime object of the recess b in the spool becomes apparent at this time. When the top is held suspended ready for spinning, it sustains the relation to the spool seen in full lines, Fig. 3, where it has dropped down as far as it can under the tension of the string. Then as the top is turned in the spool there is a tendency in the string to lift it up, so that the top gradually rises until it reaches the elevation seen in dotted lines,when the string is withdrawn. Now if there were no recess 1) which affords this play the upward tendency of the top would be found so decided that it would remain in the spool instead of dropping out, as it should, and the use of the spinning-holder B would be practically defeated. This recess therefore is highly important in a spool having the features substantially as seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 or their equivalents.

In all cases when the cord is drawn tight the weight of the top is suspended by the cord alone, and in all cases also provision should be made for causing the top to drop out when the cord is spent instead of spinning in the holder under the momentum produced through the cord.

The inlet or entrance groove for the cord is smaller relatively than the outlet-groove, so that the greater tension will be at that side.

I have herein shown and described a spoolshaped top-holder, and the spool shape is both preferred and used; but since the said part is not rotated, but simply held in the hand, it might be of some equivalent shape and still serve my purpose. The shape of said part is therefore not materal, so long as it preserves the operative features aright. The word spool therefore is understood to be broad enough to include equivalent shapes of the holding member.

What I claim is- 1. A spool for spinning tops having a central orifice adapted to have the stem of a top rotatably supported therein, and tension devices for the top-spinning cord on opposite sides of its orifice, whereby the cord can be engaged beneath said tension devices and about the stem of the top to hold the top up and spin it, substantially as described.

2. A spool for spinning tops constructed in its center to receive and release the stem of the top, and means secured to the spool to hold the spinning-cord under tension at two places, with the spindle of the top between them, substantially as described.

3. The spool constructed to support the stem of a top rotatably therein, and a tension device for engaging the spinningcord having grooves for the cord to run in and adapted to be tightened on the spool, substantially as described.

4:. A spool having a central bearing for the top-spindle to turn in and tension mechanism fixed thereto for holding the spinning-cord, in combination with the top having a spindle to turn in said bearing, substantially as described.

5. The top and its spindle, in combination with a spool and a cord frictionally engaged on said spool at two places and wound around the said spindle between its engagements on the spool, substantially as described.

6. The spool having a central bearing for a top to turn in, friction engagements for the spinning-string on opposite sides of said bearing, and a fixed guide for the string outside one of said friction engagements, substantially as described.

7. A spool to spin tops having a central orifice for the top-stem and a cavity in the top of the spool about said stem and tension devices on the spool next to said cavity to engage the spinning-cord, substantially as described.

S. The spool having a central orifice for the stem of the top and a tension device on said spool having its ends exposed to introduce the spinning-cord beneath them,and stops on said ends to prevent the said cord from being drawn beyond its working position, substantially as described.

\Vitness my hand to the foregoing specification this 2lst day of October, 1899.

MARTIN M. HENRY.

Witnesses:

H. T. FISHER, R. B. MOSEB. 

